Trent Barton bus drivers in Nottinghamshire to hold series of strikes in pay dispute

Bus drivers working for Trent Barton in Nottinghamshire are to hold a series of strikes in a row over pay.

Members of the Unite union will walk out on Monday September 10 after rejecting a 2.5 per cent pay offer for the year April 2018 - April 2019.

Further strikes are also being planned for September 17 and 24, and into October and November.

The union said some bus drivers in the county have had to resort to food banks to increase their low wages and the strikes have been planned in protest at 'poverty pay'.

Unite regional officer Scott Lennon said: “We are calling on the management to get around the table and negotiate in a constructive fashion to achieve a fair pay deal for our members.

“Our 160 drivers working from depots at Nottingham, Mansfield and Heanor in Derbyshire voted by 70 per cent to strike next Monday (10 September) and on other dates in the autumn over pay.

“This dispute could well escalate as fellow workers at Trent Motor Traction Company have also rejected this dismal pay offer.

“I appreciate that this industrial action will cause problems for the travelling public, but our members’ wages are lagging behind as the cost of living soars.

“The drivers have seen reductions in their shifts and potential earning capacity cut drastically. Our members are living hand to mouth and some are even having to use food banks, which is a disgrace for a dedicated workforce in 2018.

“We have been informed of at least five cases of our members who have had to resort to food banks to augment their poverty pay.

“The management have also muddied the waters by adding in their one per cent auto-enrolment pension contribution to make the pay offer look much more attractive than it actually is. Our members would also contribute two per cent of their pay towards auto-enrolment.

“We believe that pay and pensions should be decoupled as they are different issues – one refers to present day pay and the other towards retirement income.”

Trent Barton said some services will be unable to run on strike days, while others will have a limited service.

The company added that they won't be able to confirm the level of disruption to services in advance, but will be providing live updates on the day of industrial action via their website at Twitter from 6.30am.